Hunter S. Thompson’s 1971 gonzo journalism classic, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, has been called “the best chronicle of drug-soaked, addle-brained, rollicking good times ever committed to the printed page.” And indeed the book starts rollicking from the get-go. The opening lines read:

We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like “I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should drive….” And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us and the sky was full of what looked like huge bats, all swooping and screeching and diving around the car, which was going about a hundred miles an hour with the top down to Las Vegas. And a voice was screaming “Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?

In 1998, Terry Gilliam had no problem adapting Fear and Loathing into a trippy, big screen film starring Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro and Tobey Maguire. And now, 15 years later, 1A4STUDIO gives us this — a 60-second, animated “speedrun” through the entire narrative of Thompson’s adventure. For me, a highlight comes at the 20 second mark when the famous White Rabbit bathtub scene goes down. But, of course, don’t blink, or you’ll truly miss it.

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Open Culture editor Dan Colman scours the web for the best educational media. He finds the free courses and audio books you need, the language lessons & movies you want, and plenty of enlightenment in between.